Affinity chromatography of alpha-chymotrypsin, subtilism, and metalloendopeptidases on carbobenzoxy-L-phenylalanyl-triehtylenetetraminyl-sepharose.

Carbobenzoxy-L-phenylalanyl-triethylenetetraminyl-Sepharose (Z-L-Phe-T-Sepharose) was found to be an effective affinity adsorbent for bovine pancreatic alpha-chymotrypsin [EC 3.4.21.1] as well as neutral [EC 3.4.24.4] and alkaline [EC 3.4.21.14] proteases of Bacillus species. These enzymes were adsorbed in the neutral pH range. alpha-Chymotrypsin was recovered by elution with 0.1 A acetic acid while neutral subtilopeptidase was eluted with 0.5 M NaCl at pH 0. Thermolysin and subtilisin were found in eluates with 1.5 and 2.0 M guanidine-HCl at pH 7.2, respectively. The resulting enzymes appeared homogeneous on disc-electrophoresis and showed higher specific activities than those of crystalline or highly purified preparations available commercially. Modifications of the active site serines of alpha-chymotrypsin and subtilisin by treatment with diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) or phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) resulted in loss in their binding abilities to the adsorbent. Complexes of porcine alpha2-macroglobulin with each of these four enzymes and that of Streptomyces-subtilisin inhibitor (S-SI) with subtilisin were also found in nonadsorbed fractions.